School uniform- just read MUST have official skirt/trousers. Skirt is £18.99

I agree with the Original Nutcracker, if the uniform is too expensive then tell them so. People are not made of money these days, well most ordinary people I know aren't!!

Don't know how many people are aware of this but there is no law in this land that actually states that any child HAS to wear any particular item of clothing for school - any school. I was told by my DS's head (senior school) that if a parent went all of the way and challenged things then they would win. School uniform is not on the statute books folks, it is a request from the school in question - that's all. Many years ago when I passed for a good senior school my parents asked the local council for a grant to help buy the (then) expensive uniform to be told that uniform was not compulsory and therefore did not need a grant. Comments anyone??

When DCs school changed their skirt two years ago, the new skirt was only compulsary for yr7s, everyone else could carry on wearing the old style until it needed replacing.

Every school in our area has one design of school. Most of the schools have plaid kilt which will cost more than £10 but they are a one off buy and probably do not have to be replaced in the whole of their school life as they are expand round the waist and are usually bought longish. We are not a wealthy area but it doesn't seem to be a problem.

The dd's school are planning to bring in their own skirt. If it costs more than £10 then I will not be buying it.

£18 is expensive if you are a lone parent, on a low wage, with more than 1 dd at the school.

That's less than a lot of the primary school specific jumpers - they seem to be about £25!

Hi, I have been told of a new site www.mygyko.com where you can buy, sell and swap pre owned school uniform. It has just started up so you may not find what you need at first but it's worth joining up.

DDs school have little PE skirts, wrap around with pleats at the back, name emboidered on the front. But they also allow black shorts, which most choose to wear either instead or under the skirts.
No PE knickers though.

green skirt, green jersey, cream blouse, beige or green socks (latter if raining), in my time there was still a deportment girdle for those who walked and behaved well (a sort of braided tie that went round the waist and hung down), blazer, 1940's style raincoat and the hat went after my first year because they kept getting stolen and in 1972 were £8.50. Gym skirt of huge pleated intricacy and white aertex and big thick green knickers . Only those in teams had to have special socks and a tracksuit the rest of us were allowed to wear our jumpers in the colde. In the 6th form we were allowed a cardigan and natural coloured tights instead of the jumper and socks! Oh yes, we had soft soled indoor shoes too (little suede lace up numbers in beige or dark brown) because it kept down the noise and on the whole everyone wore them to and from as well. We were a compliant bunch.

At my girls GS, they had a 6th form uniform of sorts: Had to be bottle green, camel or brown..!! We wore homemade skirts that were actually constructed from blanket material, with desert boots and thick, ribbed socks. Nice.

1962 as well.

Ours was navy, any style, but above the knee was so uncool! 1964.

LOL Ellen I was born in 62. Our uniform was all over the place.

It was black skirt or trousers, black, red or white jumper any style

Bruffin, you must be exactly the same age as me! Hadn't thought of sunray pleats for years. We could only have slits up to the knee! Kids these days, eh!

DCs skirt cost something like that. They are only allowed one style which is not easy to get outside the school uniform shop. I don't think that is particularly expensive for an item that has to be worn 5 days a week. DD has 2 which have lasted her for 2 years and I am not planning on buying her any new ones soon.

When I was at school we were allowed any style of skirt as long as it was black, so when sunray pleats were in everyone wore sunray pleats, then the fashion was pencil skirts with slits up the side so everyone got those. It was just a fashion parade.

Funny then that so many wander round in Hollister, Jack Wills and Abercrombie and Fitch!! What's sauce for the goose is sauce for gander hassled.

Oh this stuff infuriates me - I feel a campaign coming on. I've had a good rant at DS2's school and it's got nowhere. But my research has told me that:

Government guidance is that schools should provide a range of suppliers. Schools or retailers that have exclusive contracts with suppliers might be subject to enforcement action under Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 and Governing Bodies should ensure that any uniform chosen is widely available in high street shops and other retail outlets, rather than from a sole supplier.

The Local Government Association?s advice is that uniform items should all be available from a minimum of two different suppliers, not counting the school itself, school symbols and logos should be available as sew-on patches and parents should be given opportunities to buy and sell second hand uniform from other parents.

Surely though if you know the uniform bill is coming then it is just like any other expense and you can budget accordingly?

DS1 starts school next September so I will be buying stuff this time next year. I have just set up a standing order into a savings account so that I will have the money there to use, even though it is something that I could fund from our normal monthly budget.

I think it seems like pretty good value when you compare it to the prices of casual clothes.

£18.00 isn't a great deal of money. Would you demur from spending £18 on a pair of skinny jeans for her which she will wear far less? Why is it such a surprise that kitting out for a new school will cost - it happens annually for the parents who move at the end of Y6. FWIW I went to a 2nd hand sale when DS transferred at 9. I bought all the sports kit, long socks, and a jumper for £27.00. Only bought the blazer new and the shirts and shorts came from (M&S). The fees 9 years ago were 4k a term and I wasn't too pround to buy sensibly for the first raft.

our school has just introduced a school standard skirt. It had to simply because of the number of girls who were abusing the previous less strict uniform by wearing the hideous tight clingy short lyrca ones.

Without tightening up the policy we were in the position of parents claiming the skirts were ok because they didn't breach any uniform code.

Unfortunatley, the few who abuse a uniform code like this end up making it more prescriptive for everyone else.

A state school cannot demand one supplier and one choice of skirt. Challenge it if you believe it is not good value for money.

I never know why there is such a big fuss made over uniform prices. It will be a good quality skirt and when you work out how much two cost over the space of 39 weeks at school it works out at 18p per day for the two skirts!